From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2008 Arab Capital of Culture was chosen to be Damascus, Syria. The Arab Capital of Culture is an initiative undertaken by UNESCO,[1] under the Cultural Capitals Program to promote and celebrate Arab culture and encourage cooperation in the Arab region. The preparation for the festivity began in February 2007 with the establishing of the Administrative Committee for “Damascus Arab Capital of Culture" by a presidential decree.

Prof. Rania Samara, professor of literature at the University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle.

Additionally, there was an advisory board of respected intellectuals, artists and literati including such figures as Adunis, Asaad Fidda, Abed Azrie and Ghassan al-Maleh.

Opening ceremony

The festivities were officially launched on January 18, 2008 with fireworks and a spectacular visual and light show at the Umayyad Square. The opening ceremony included levitated dancing, musical segments, floating acrobatics, and hot air balloons. The ceremony was attended by the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Foreign guests included the Turkish prime minister Abdullah Gul, the Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa and the secretary general of the Arab LeagueAmr Moussa.[3]

The show afforded citizens of Syria the first opportunity to witness a grand 'piazza' celebration. To the collective emotion that the show aroused, the grand finale was added: a fireworks concert witnessed by the 1.6 million inhabitants of Damascus, launched from the hills of Quaisun.

Highlights of the festivities

Over the course of 12 months many major cultural events were sponsired and numerous festivals and exhibitions were held, turning Damascus into a cultural center.